Williams finalist in Governor's Student Business Plan Competition

John Williams, Black Hills State University business administration major, discusses his business plan objective with Dr. Priscilla Romkema, BHSU associate professor in the Department of Management and Marketing. Williams was chosen as one of eight finalists from across the state to present his business plan at the Governor’s Student Business Plan Competition April 12.

John Williams, Black Hills State University business administration senior from Spearfish, has been selected as one of eight finalists from South Dakota to present at the Governor’s Student Business Plan Competition.

Williams will travel to Sioux Falls and present his plan to a group of business and financial expert reviewers April 12.

Williams is the only student from West River South Dakota to be selected as a finalist. He says the whole business plan took about 50 hours to complete, although he is still working to condense the project to 10 pages for his state presentation. Williams’ business plan is for a voice messaging system that will help members of any type of group communicate more efficiently.

Williams said he has been interested in the business plan competition for several years, but this is the first year he entered. He credited Dr. Priscilla Romkema for her guidance and suggestions. “I owe it to Dr. Romkema for encouraging me to do it and keeping me on track so I could get it done on time,” said Williams.

Romkema, BHSU associate professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, has been advising Williams on his project this year. “We are very proud of him,” she said. “This is a big, big honor.”

Williams, who will graduate in May, says he isn’t sure yet if he will carry out his business plan into a real-life situation. “I am still working on developing the idea more completely to determine whether or not I take the next step,” he said.

For now, he said that he is just “looking forward to the opportunity to present and meet the other people at the competition.”

The winner of the state competition will be awarded $5,000. In addition, the two second-place awardees will receive $2,500 each.

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